Hackers
by LightningSkies1
Summary: Slightly AU. Hacking into Stark Industries might not have been Skye's best idea. However, she never would have thought that it would be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Iron Man.**

 **Takes place before Iron Man and AoS.**

* * *

In hindsight, maybe hacking into Stark Industries wasn't the best idea Skye had. But there she was at Tony Stark's Malibu Mansion because she hit another dead end in her search and was bored. She had wanted a challenge and seeing as the United States government had shitty security, the hacker decided to take it to the next level.

Stark was smart. His firewalls displayed the need of several different hacking styles. He had some defenses that were easy to get through, but tedious. By the time people hacked through them, Stark would be alerted and he'd "lock them in" the system, leaving the billionare able to track and apprehend anyone who tried to get past his security.

It took time, skills, and being cool under pressure to get through every single one of his firewalls. She managed to sneak past them undetected, but when looking through the data, she had tripped a nearly invisible security measure. And that was how she ended up here.

"You hacked just at the right time," Stark commented, speaking for the first time since he found her at the cafe she was at. _Tony_ , she mentally corrected. "I was doing maintenance. Don't really have a schedule for that sort of thing, cause with the right person and time slot, someone can get in. Seems someone did."

Skye kept silent. Talking wasn't going to help her case.

"Imagine my surprise though, when I run facial recognition on you and it came back saying you didn't exist." Was that a hint of pride in his voice? "Now, there aren't many people who can do that, as I think you know." Skye nodded. It took her over a dozen hackers to find one who could help wipe her from existence.

"It would be a waste of your talent to lock you up. All I want to know is your name. Nothing else. And maybe we could work something out." Tony was better than most of the people she could have hacked. If it were almost anyone else, she would probably be behind bars right now.

"Skye." Tony looked at her in curiosity. "My name's Skye."

"Well Skye, I've learned to read people like they're a book. Let me guess. Orphan, parents probably dead somewhere or never wanting you. Hacking is not only a way of rebellion, but a way to search for something. Something that people won't tell you about. You're angry. Angry at the world, your family, yourself, and the people keeping secrets from you. And I get the vibe that you didn't even hack SI for any of my designs. That true?"

She couldn't deny it, Tony was pretty good at reading people. The hacker tilted her head in confirmation.

"I'd offer you a job, but something tells me that you don't want that. You want answers." Tony reach for her hand across the table and took it in his own. "I'm not a heartless person. If you want, I can help you find what you're looking for."

"No," Skye answered. "I just, I've got to find out for myself." Tony wasn't disappointed.

"Understandable. I won't get in your way then." He was just letting her go? Just like that?

"You aren't going to stop me?"

Tony shook his head. "As long as you aren't hacking SI again without my permission or it's an emergency, or you're some sort of terrorist, I don't see the problem. However, may I have a way to contact you?"

It was more of a demand than a request. Knowing that it was probably the best way out of the situation, she conceded and gave him her phone number, along with her email.

"JARVIS, you got that?"

"Yes sir," a British voice responded. _What the hell?_

Sensing her confusion, Tony elaborated. "JARVIS is my AI." Freaky, but pretty cool. It was like a robot butler. Without a body, of course.

"Thank you Mr. Stark," Skye said, standing up and holding out her hand.

"Please," Stark replied, shaking her hand, "Call me Tony."


	2. Afghanistan

**Disclaimer: I do not own AoS or Iron Man. Takes place when Tony is kidnapped, a year or two after chapter one. Please check the poll on my profile concerning future stories.**

* * *

When Skye woke up that morning, she hadn't expected getting a phone call from Pepper that Tony had been kidnapped. She sighed. Stupid, idiotic, Stark just had to get into trouble again.

Don't get her wrong, she was worried as hell, but Skye wanted to curse at whatever god or gods were out there for this happening. Tony was a pretty good guy when you get past the playboy jerk exterior. Why did the good people always have bad things happen to them? Why'd bad things happen to almost every person Skye grew close to?

"C'mon Skye," she mumbled to herself, wiping the sleep from her eyes and grabbing her laptop. "Let's find ourselves a Tony."

* * *

Three months. It had been three months since Tony went missing. Most of the world assumed Tony was dead by now, but Skye didn't give up. Tony was a stubborn bastard.

After cashing in some favors from her fellow hackers, Skye finally got a lead. Of all the places it had to be, it was Afghanistan. There was nothing wrong with the place of course, but just thinking of the country, Tony, and being kidnapped in the same sentence lead her to thoughts of her friend chained to the wall of a cave, tortured for information or being forced to build something for them.

She shuddered. Tony hated when people stole his stuff. And if these people got their hands on some of Tony's works, the world would be in great danger.

There was a conversation between two accounts that mentioned having a weapons maker who went missing. Tony, she thought. Who else would it be? Still, it felt too easy. Didn't bad guys have secret codes or whatever? The hacker pushed those thoughts aside. Even if they were making a fake trail for someone like her to follow, it as still a lead worth checking out.

Skye traced the other account, the one that wasn't from Afghanistan, and her eyes widened when she saw it was sent from Stark Industries. _They had an inside man the whole time_ , Skye realized.

There were several videos provided in the conversations that the hacker couldn't will herself to watch. She feared what lied within them, what they had done to Tony.

Skye nearly threw up at some of the nastier thoughts before taking a deep breath and turning back to the keyboard with a new determination. Tracing the hack, she managed to limit the area down to three square miles in the middle of nowhere.

The hacker immediately called Pepper and informed her that she had a lead. Tony's assistant had cried, thanking her relentlessly for finding something, even if it might be false info. It was still something, even if it ended up to be small. Pepper said she would call Rhodey, Tony's friend, to lead a mission to find him.

She changed into some more comfy clothes before laying in the bed of her hotel room. A smile on her face and a feeling of accomplishment in her heart, Skye finally let herself get the first decent sleep in three months.

* * *

When Skye came to, she realized two things. She had slept for over twelve hours and she needed to check her messages, _now_.

When she turned her phone on, she found a text from Pepper.

 _ **Pepper (3:30 AM):** They found Tony! He's hurt, but alive._

 ** _Pepper (3:31 AM):_** _He says that he missed you by the way, and it took you long enough. ;)_

 ** _Pepper (3:31 AM):_** _Yes, the emoticon was from him too._

It may seem like nothing to most people, but Tony hardly used emoticons. The fact that he used a winky face meant that he was extremely happy with her. She screenshotted it before placing it as her background.

Only Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey have ever gotten the winky face before. Happy got it once after he drove Tony across the country due to Tony not trusting the local airline after a plane crash and his own plane having maintenance. Rhodey got it twice, once when Tony was in college and again when he managed to get the position as the liason for Stark Industries and the Army. Pepper got it a total of three times, a Stark record.

The fact that she got one at all felt like she got an Oscar. It was, she didn't have any words for how she felt at the moment.

However, Tony was found. He was coming home. For Skye, that meant more than anything. Tony Stark was back.


End file.
